


Character Biography: Flashpoint

by ladyofdragons



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Alien Gender/Sexuality, Character Study, Gen, Original Character(s), Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-21
Updated: 2014-04-21
Packaged: 2018-01-20 07:19:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1501601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyofdragons/pseuds/ladyofdragons
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Flashpoint is part of an ongoing project of mine reaching back almost three years to create TF femmes that don't conform to the classic slim, supermodel type shape. Though she originally got her start in TF:Prime, in early 2013 I began drawing and developing the IDW version you see here. Beyond a sturdier frame type, I wanted to take Arcee's backstory, in which she undergoes gender assignment against her will, and do it from a consensual angle. I admittedly stretch canon slightly to do this, giving Shockwave and one of his underlings access to Jhiaxus' gender assignment research (not a totally unconceivable thing), but beyond that I think Flashpoint fits relatively seamlessly into IDW canon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Character Biography: Flashpoint

**Author's Note:**

> Since some people have expressed an interest, I thought I'd post this up here. And if I get off my ass and finish it, there will be fic of her. Image links go to my DA page for the most part.
> 
> I have made no alterations to this bio in light of recent IDW canon revealing more female TFs, and see no reason to until IDW gives us more information on female TFs as it applies to native Cybertronians. For my part, I have expressed Flashpoint's gender identity as a bit of a role model in Arcee, further influenced by females from other races, notably humans.

[ ](http://ladyofdragons.deviantart.com/art/Flashpoint-Portrait-442444978)

**[ CHARACTER DETAILS ]**

**Name:** Flashpoint  
 **Canon:** Transformers IDW (OC)  
 **Age:** Late-middle aged adult, close to Ratchet's age. So ~5 million yrs old maybe?  
 **Appearance:**

  * Robot mode: [(DA Art Link)](http://ladyofdragons.deviantart.com/art/Flashpoint-Transformers-IDW-OC-442438614) Grounder/speedster, similar in frame to Rodimus but closer to Perceptor's height. Has a persistent chip in her dentae and a crack in her upper lip plate on the left side. Tends to look battle worn a lot of the time: battered, scratched, dented, (a byproduct of her glitchy auto-repair). 
  * Altmode: [(DA Art Link)](http://ladyofdragons.deviantart.com/art/Flashpoint-Altmode-442443995) Current alt-mode is a muscle car fashioned after a 1971 Plymouth HEMI 'Cuda, had a Cybertronian styled speedster alt previous to that, and something more utilitarian during pre-war.
  * Holoform: Began as [this](http://ladyofdragons.com/misc/DW/flashpoint/Flashpoint-holo.png), but when that was discovered to be too flashy the average human appearance, it was later reprogrammed into something that looks like a cross between Betty White and Judy Dench.



**[ HISTORY ]**

**Pre-War**

Chipseal began life wanting to create or fix things, to solve problems, to look after people. His initial function, road repair, was route and mindless, leaving him in search of something more. Unfortunately he tested just outside of the range of intellectual class, making him ineligible for more interesting jobs like engineering and medical care. He might have considered being a nurse or other rudimentary function in the medical field, but he found that his hands trembled when under situations of extreme stress.

He soon found a job as a modification technician instead, performing parts upgrades or replacements, fine tuning mechanics and doing basic repairs. Though it was simpler work than he'd originally dreamed of, he took great pride in it, growing passionate, putting together an internal database of frame designs and parts schematics. It got to the point he could often guess details about a mech just by looking, (this became a favored game at the local bar in fact). He eventually opened his own shop, and when not doing mod work, Chipseal did paint detailing on the side in the hopes the practice might steady his hands. The benefit was minimal but he did enjoy the change of pace.

Chipseal lived as a citizen of Torus-City Nyon early enough to have seen it during its glory days. As the city declined thanks to governmental neglect and the energon shortage, he lost his business and had to find other work. After running afoul of repair business that were more like chop-shops he resigned himself to near homelessness and doing street corner repairs or basic attempts at medical care in the Rust Narrows. Energon everywhere had become scarce, but he managed to stay fueled through these means, though barely. 

The more the corrupt Autobot government neglected Nyon and its citizens the more Chipseal wanted to help, loyal to his home and friends, but the more he felt powerless to do so. He did his best in his own small way, never turning away work regardless of how--or if--the mech could pay. He became known for that charity and protected for it, his technician's tools his last possession of any value.

A city of promise turned slum, Nyon's citizens only had each other to rely on. Civil unrest and resistance turned to violent insurgency when they discovered Zeta Prime had been bleeding the citizens of their energon to power his war machines. First they'd been left to rust, now they'd been used as cattle and left to die. (Autocracy #5:Ruins)

Outraged by the government's actions, Chipseal joined the rebellion and was inspired by their new leader Hot Rod. Chipseal's issue with trembling made aiming a gun ineffective (he did well on the range, but failed under stress). Discouraged but not defeated, he went back to doing more warfare related modification work to help support the insurgency. Weapons and performance enhancements were primary but he occasionally assisted their medic as best he could and learned a few things along the way.

When conflict escalated to an all-out purge of Nyon ordered by Zeta Prime, there was no way to stand against the invading war machines fueled by the citizen's very energon. But there was one last resort: plasma charges had already been planted all across the city. The citizens, Chipseal included, had decided well before this: it was better to die fighting than to let Zeta take what was left of them.

As the Omega Destructors burned the city and harvested even more energy from the inhabitants with their vamparc weapons, Hot Rod knew Nyon was lost and made the difficult decision to detonate. When the explosions began Chipseal knew it for what it was, and stubborn to the end, stood with his fellows in this one last act defiance. Exercising their last bit of agency, the citizens destroyed themselves, their city and the Omega Destructors with it. (Autocracy #6: Purge)

A contingent of Decepticons arrived on the scene to assist Orion Pax and his Autobots in defeating Zeta Prime himself. Orion took heavy damage in the fight and Megatron forced the Prime to retreat. They then returned to Decepticon HQ where Orion was repaired by Shockwave. (Autocracy #7: Choices)

Also present at the battle was a Decepticon named Splice (my OC), a lesser scientist working under Shockwave. One of Splice's objectives was continuing Shockwave's research into Jhiaxus's experiments that focused on furthering the progression of the species. Being unenamored with direct combat, Splice's specific focus was to create better soldiers. Hopefully if his research proved indispensable enough, he'd be removed from field combat rotation and could focus on lab work. To this end, Splice scoured the burned wreckage of Nyon to salvage survivors as subjects for his experiments. In the short time he had, his drones returned with a lot of spare parts and one guttering spark of a mech: Chipseal.

Splice returned to Decepticon HQ in Kaon along with the rest and began the restoration of Chipseal's body, but to the new specifications of a mech created solely as a tool of war. All this was done under the guise of simple repair at first. Chipseal was brought back online as soon as possible, while still weak, helpless and in pain. This served one purpose, to be given an “offer”: If you want the power and capability to put down those that did this to you and destroyed everything you cared about, join the Decepticons.

By this point the bitterness in Chipseal was fueled by years of fear, starvation, helplessness and destitution; watching friends suffer die and being incapable of fighting back. He easily rallied to Splice's propaganda with a vengeful passion. The Decepticon scientist explained the changes he would make: various performance enhancements including an experimental weapons system to enhance hand-to-hand fighting. It wasn't enough for Chipseal. Driven by anger and desperate to overcome weakness, to not be caught helpless again, he asked for more.

Splice named various options, one of them being Jhiaxus's experiment that transformed Arcee into the first Cybertronian female. It also made Arcee an extremely deadly and effective warrior with a formidable reputation, which is what caught Chipseal's interest. Jhiaxus's original project had been furthered by Shockwave, the issue of conflicting sensory input theoretically solved, but Splice warned that the new process was untested. 

Chipseal was blind to the cautions. He wanted revenge on Zeta and the Grand Imperium. More than that, he needed to be a hardened and capable warrior, someone with the potential to stop something like the purge of Nyon from happening again. Or at least, to make a difference. He insisted on the procedure regardless of the risks. When all the work was complete the mech that emerged bore the Decepticon brand and chose a new name for herself: Flashpoint.

She expected to feel different, but aside from the combat modifications and a slight change in vocal tone, she felt relatively normal. It was surprising, but what mattered was her combat worthiness, right? Splice arranged for a basic training session on her new upmods: enhanced reflexes, a sensor array that allowed her to find weaknesses in her opponents and a weapons system in her arms and hands to make her a deadly hand-to-hand fighter. Filled with new purpose and conviction, she eagerly asked to be sent into the field to test them. Splice, equally eager and excited to see his modifications in action, sent her in his place on a mission with a squad of other Decepticons.

The mission did not go as planned. Flashpoint, expecting it to all to just come naturally: the cool, driven aggression of a hardened fighter and matching combat prowess, was quickly proven wrong. Still a civilian at her core, and with almost no true combat experience, she quickly lost control of the situation and tried to flee the battle in a panic. One of her squad mates tried to stop her and she reacted instinctively, stinking out and gravely injuring the Decepticon.

The mission was botched and Splice took the fall. Angry at his new soldier's failure, he took it out on Flashpoint. She was just as angry and disappointed at herself, then angry at Splice for not giving her everything she thought she had been promised. She lashed out at him, fighting back, but he activated an internal kill switch that he had secretly installed as part of her rebuild, incapacitating her.

While she sat in a containment cell another issue became apparent: even the most minor injuries she received in the fight and later from Splice were not healing. The scientist ran some tests and determined that there was an issue with her auto-repair malfunctioning, likely due to the way her CNA was altered by the Arcee Mod.

Pressured by Shockwave to produce results more quickly, Splice changed the game plan. He wanted to use mnemosurgery to implant memories of the combat training she needed. Flashpoint hated this idea. It wasn't the danger involved that gave her pause. After her experience with the kill switch, she didn't want him in her head again. She convinced Splice to do armor and durability upgrades instead to compensate for the auto-repair malfunction, and then begged to be sent back out again.

It was only partly bravery, because at that point Flashpoint was desperate to get out. She knew if she failed again Splice would do the mnemosurgery and she feared losing more and more of her self in the process. So on her next mission assignment she did her best to keep her cool, and when she saw an opening she took advantage of it, fleeing the scene and the Decepticons altogether. 

Scraping the purple brand off her chestplate, she traveled to Iacon and hid in the dark places while trying to sort out where she belonged, watching and listening. She learned that Zeta had been killed by Megatron and the Grand Imperium toppled, the Decepticons taking control. It quickly became clear that though Megtron's faction were the foremost advocates of dissolving the corrupt government and social system, they would offer a future no better than what came before them, only different. Deprived of her revenge and left without a cause to follow, she lingered on the edges of society, mistrustful of both factions and uncertain of her future. 

When the newly emerged Optimus Prime (formerly Orion Pax) rallied the people to take back the capital from the Decepticon occupation, she took notice. (Autocracy #11: Broadcast) Seeing that Optimus had the better intentions for all Cybertronians as a whole, she joined the (now reformed) Autobots, hoping they would not let her down in the same way the Grand Imperium and the Decepticons had. She joined the masses marching against the Decepticons in the capital and then stayed with Optimus' Autobots afterwards, fighting alongside them as the civil war escalated.

 **During The War**

As an new Autobot, Flashpoint was generally withdrawn, her old tendency to be social eroded by uncertainty and distrust. Reactions to her gender were mixed. Some noticed while others didn't, some were curious while others wary. The fact that she bore no shame for allying briefly with the Decepticons against Zeta did not earn her many friends, nor did her open scrutiny of Autobot leadership, wary as she was of further disappointment like the Decepticons and the Grand Imperium before them. Her anger from Nyon lingered, unfulfilled, and the wariness of her fellow Autobots did not help matters. She grew brusque and abrasive, pushing people away, reluctant to form attachments like those she lost at Nyon. 

If Flashpoint was happy about anything, it was finally having tools to fight back with, though she was dismayed about her lack of control. The accidental way she'd nearly killed her former Decepticon squad member still ate at her processor. Disconcerted by this and still adjusting to her new hands--meant to maim and kill instead of repair or heal--the Autobot sought to learn to better understand and use her new capabilities. She began to understand that many of Arcee's capabilities had been hard-won through years of challenge. Flashpoint would need to do the same.

Flashpoint was given high level combat field training, but it wasn't until she found someone to teach her the Crystalocution technique that she began to feel truly confident and effective. Combined with her ability to detect weaknesses and the database of frame schematics from her mod tech days, she became a deadly combatant.

Once in active service, Flashpoint's early military career was mixed. She had great potential, but was somewhat volatile and often reckless. Empowered by her new skills and body, she took to frequently testing her limits, welcoming any kind of challenge. Her issues with authority grew and she fell into a habit of suspicious of her superiors. Straying from mission parameters and unconventional approaches were not unheard of, nor was collateral damage, misconduct and disrespecting others. All of this was detailed in her military record and/or Autopedia entry.

Despite her dodgy conduct, training and field experience honed her into a true soldier and her superiors in Autobot Command began to see her true talents. After several attempts at making her part of a squad failed because she did not work well with others, her superiors decided instead to make her a solo operative, running recon and intel missions, rescues, and other situations that required the subtly of a single agent. 

The conviction Chipseal showed in Nyon sharpened into a weapon against tyranny and oppression. Her anger grew cold after a while and so did she, driving her to ruthlessness in battle while also making her numb to the repercussions. Eventually, the war, the battles and winning them, became all that truly mattered. She sought results, often turning a blind eye to the ethics involved in the method. This served to increase her reckless streak, enabling her into greater risks, the thrill making her feel truly alive.

The Autobot female was eventually transferred to special-ops duty, taking high risk, black-ops and suicide type missions. She spent much of the war in this capacity, working solo from her own ship, gathering intel on Decepticon movements through galactic space when not on specific missions. She rarely interacted with other Autobots outside of her handler, Switchback, and occasionally their commanding officer. The exceptions were to resupply, have medical work done she couldn't see to herself, of for the odd mission here and there with other squads where her specific skills were needed.

Flashpoint spent a good portion of the four million year long war in this capacity, mellowing some during her time in solitary space, left with plenty of time for introspection. She realized she had turned cold and systematic about her missions, less critical of the ethics. She knew it was all in the name of winning the war, the Autobots growing desperate, bending the code. But that was acceptable if it meant they ended the conflict right?

She'd been asking herself that question for a while with no clear answer, when one mission put things into perspective. She had to make a mission critical choice between the semi-sentient population of a native planet and a Decepticon cruiser reportedly carrying important intel. She changed plans at the last minute, detonating the charges early so the planet's atmosphere would not be risked, allowing its unique population to survive. Her handler Switchback--who was playing support at the time--was exposed in the backlash and his ship destroyed the cruiser escaped.

She bore the consequences of the disciplinary hearing that followed with uncharacteristic quiet, though the remorse she felt was likely not in the areas her supervisors would have preferred. She realized that if she hadn't turned a blind optic to the collateral risk inherent to the mission, if she'd refused the mission outright, Switchback wouldn't have paid the price. Her relationship with her handler had been far from perfect, but he was still the mech who respected her and trusted her the most.

Realizing she'd become part of the problem, Flashpoint made her own personal vow to be more mindful of her use of violence and more critical of what constituted acceptable losses. It didn't stop her from killing, but she was more self aware of her choices and used violence with a critical kind of precision rather the reckless abandon of her old ways. Regret stirred where she had been gruffly shameless before. But she'd already done so much damage; she felt like a lost cause with too much blood on her hands. But the war still needed to be won so she became a 'sin-eater': the one who performs necessary evil so others might stay pure. This and the accompanying martyr complex reinforced her need to shun attachments, now for the good of the other party, as she considered herself a certain level of expendable.

 **Earth Conflict**

In the wake of Flashpoint's disciplinary hearing, her rank was downgraded and she was assigned to a listening post on Earth, which at the time was considered a low priority/low key, off-the-grid type posting. She performed surveillance duties, doing reconnaissance on the native population and searching for any Cybertronian presence, including Decepticon covert activity.

The vehicle she chose as her native camouflage was a '71 Plymouth HEMI Cuda with (what she didn't realize was) a very custom paint job. This car belonged to a human female, early 50's, named Lauren, who was a nurse at a local hospital. She lived on the outskirts of the city, commuting daily in her sedan.

Flashpoint became injured during an intel gathering mission that went wrong and in the process of fleeing her pursuers in vehicle mode, Lauren noticed her. Thinking that someone had stolen her car, she attempted to call the police. There was not enough signal to make the call, so Lauren followed Flashpoint covertly.

The Autobot found herself a discrete place to hole up to nurse her wounds. She was bleeding vital energon and knew that she had to stop the fluid loss and do some repairs before she could travel more. When Lauren arrived to investigate, following the leak, Flashpoint tried to hide in vehicle mode. Lauren knew just enough about cars that she tried to investigate the leak of the curious fluid. Knowing the damage would give her away (alien tech), Flashpoint broke cover, transforming and revealing her bipedal mode to Lauren. She old the woman that it was dangerous and she should go. Terrified, Lauren fled. After getting over her initial shock, the woman returned, curious and concerned for a creature in obvious pain. 

Flashpoint was still insistent that it wasn't safe for Lauren to be there, but the woman was stubborn and insistent. Outwardly, Flashpoint was baffled by why the woman cared and only accepted her help begrudgingly. Internally, she recognized the need to fix something that's broken, and was touched that an alien woman would go out of her way to tend to her. Over the course of several days, Lauren helped Flashpoint, bringing her materials to repair the leg wound and just sitting and talking with her.

It turned out that Lauren's 'Cuda originally belonged to her husband who had restored and maintained the car as a hobby. They'd even done some work on it together which is why she knew a little about cars. They had no children, so the car and their two yellow labs, Ben and Jerry, had occupied their days. Just shy of their 25th anniversary he was killed in an auto accident while commuting to work in their sedan. Lauren maintained the 'Cuda in his memory, driving it at least once a month.

Flashpoint also took an interest in Lauren's job as a nurse, saying that she'd once wanted to be a medic. The woman spoke about life in the ER, dealing with patients and family members, and even her own miscarriage. The nurse's stories gave Flashpoint a few things to think about: compassion, family and friendships, love, and dealing with loss. It put things into startling perspective: here was a tiny vulnerable human risking herself emotionally the same easy way Flashpoint did her body. It planted the seeds in the female Autobot's mind; that maybe the way she'd been living, detached and withdrawn, was not the best way. 

When Lauren finally obtained the last part Flashpoint needed, a Decepticon tracked the woman to the Autobot's hiding place. Flashpoint detected the ‘Con before he arrived, and told Lauren to flee. She was driving the 'Cuda that day, and decided to draw the Decepticon away. Flashpoint had no choice but to complete the last repair in a hurry, managing to keep her hands steady and firm under pressure, and then rushed after them both. She defeated the Decepticon and saved Lauren, but the car was totaled in the process. Flashpoint drove Lauren home, and realized that during their short time together she'd grown oddly fond of the human. They had a surprisingly sentimental goodbye, which was awkward for Flashpoint while Lauren was quietly amused and comforting. 

**Post-War**

Later, when the war was over and Cybertron had been renewed, Flashpoint decided not to reconfigure back to a Cybertronian alt-mode, preferring to keep the deco of the old 'Cuda in honor of Lauren's compassion, and doing a few upgrades instead.

The end of the war posed many questions for Flashpoint. She was outfitted solely for war, leaving her feeling obsolete with her future adrift. She revisited the idea of becoming a medic, but feared the option was lost to her because of her service record, crusty demeanor and lack of a mentor. It would be sometime before society on Cybertron would have the demand to support a business for upgrades like she ran before the war, so that was also not an option.

She began to regret all her years wasted pushing people away, refusing attachment. Now she was rudderless and also alone, without a confidant to express her troubles to or offer advice. After Rodimus' speech, she was faced with a choice: board the Lost Light and go on a quest she wasn't sure she believed in but might have purpose for her, or stay on Cybertron and try to help rebuild, find a new niche function, and risk being superfluous.

 **[ PERSONALITY ]**

(In Brief)

Flashpoint's gone through various stages of life and personality shifts in her long existence. In the days before the war, Chipseal was what you might call your 'average joe'. He had friends, a few of them close, and a good sense of camaraderie. A bit talkative and dorky perhaps, but his antics were generally tolerated if not well received. Though he had not reached his more lofty dreams, he was happy enough with what he'd accomplished with his humble business.

By contrast, the period following Nyon's destruction left Flashpoint almost bristly in demeanor. As she coped with that trauma over time she mellowed to gruffly blunt or sarcastic, earning respected colleagues but few true friends, generally keeping all at arms length.

Now, with the end of the war came around, she's still keeping up the image of daredevil special ops agent, but it's slipping, something she holds to out familiarity like a security blanket. Flashpoint was not exactly young when the war started, and there are more and more moments when the reckless and wild drive slows down and she feels old and tired. A jaded veteran, she's uncertain where her future lies, or how to cope with her increasing loneliness.

(In Detail)

Flashpoint's got a mouth on her. Even Chipseal was a ready talker, but as Flashpoint her words take on a sharper, dryer and often cattier edge. She rarely filters her dialogue so tact and manners are like a quaint accessory she sometimes manages to wear. Unless she's on the job/undercover, she often says things before thinking twice, (sometimes to her dismay). She can be extremely opinionated and vocal, not to mention foul-mouthed. Perhaps her most common saving grace is humor: she has a wit that is sharp and fast like a whip, (though often this is also what gets her in trouble). She's only intentionally cruel and biting when someone is asking for it, though she can at times come across as cruel and belligerent unintentionally anyway.

Her attitude doesn't exactly win her many friendships, and yes, she can be a bit of a troll. She's not a bully type who gets off on being mean, just, don't let her get bored. Her entertainment choices often are not the wisest and it is not uncommon for her to bend/break laws and rattle cages she shouldn't. She enjoys her engex perhaps a bit too much, to the extent of occasional alcohol abuse.

Flashpoint doesn't readily offer much of herself, revealing little or doing so with such an off-the-cuff candidacy that startles people. She can be slightly abrasive or challenging at times and tasteless, bawdy or crass humor is not uncommon. When not being snarky, grumpy, cynical, flexing her bravado or being generally gruff, she's a little awkward. She's hidden behind those emotions for so long, she's a little out of practice with expressing others that they don't quite come naturally. True kindness, compassion and praise (other than for her military prowess) tends to be met with surprise and embarrassment because she seldom receives such and generally feels unworthy.

To those who are patient enough to endure her less-than-charismatic nature and actually befriend her, Flashpoint is intensely loyal. She can be a fun person and tends to have a "live today like there's no tomorrow" approach to life. The nurturing side of her which was quite prevalent before the war still shows itself sometimes, usually when she's doing repairs, or when she finds someone in a situation similar to the ones she's suffered in the past. In those moments she can be capable of great charity, though gruffly delivered.

She makes no secret of her previous faction or gender; she having no lasting regrets for either choice. Though hindsight proved joining the Decepticons a problematic choice in the end, given the option she'd make the same choice again in the wake of Nyon's destruction. She doesn't let Autobots shame or guilt her for it, either outright disregarding comments or making horrible jokes about it. Though Flashpoint initially struggled with what being a female Cybertronian was meant to be, she's since taken up the quest of defining it for herself. She chose Arcee's gender mod to be independent, effective and powerful, all of which she's gained. If mechs take issue with it or don't accept her, well, that's their problem. In her mind it's worth it. And part of her likes the idea of being different, exotic in some way. She rather hopes there are people who will find that attractive too. Though she doesn't flaunt her gender, as a combatant she is not opposed using Arcee's formidable reputation to her own benefit. If she can take advantage of that fear factor, she will.

Flashpoint is not exactly an Autobot patriot. Faction to her is a label, one that is not always accurate to the what lies beneath. After all, the Autobots were once corrupt enforcers that supported a poisoned upper class while the Decepticons were revolutionaries who preached equality and breaking a system of oppression. She's seen those names represent different things over time so to her what matters most are the individual's own actions and ideals. If the Autobots cease to be a benefit to society the way they and the Grand Imperium did before, ideally she'd seek to rectify that. In practice she's found things to be far more gray however. She spent much of the latter part of the war with this in question, wondering if the Autobots were still on the right path.

She is still mistrusting of authority figures: the events of the war did nothing to soothe the scars created by Zeta and the corrupt Primes that preceded him. Optimus' actions on Earth, when he resigned his post and surrendered to Skywatch because he no longer felt fit to lead, was a particular let-down, (she understood his inner conflict, but hated his handling of it). (TF Ongoing #1) The way Rodimus fell in so easily with Swindle and sought to bail from Earth was also disappointing, and Ultra Magnus' rigidity and blanket faith in the Autobot code (and that it's actually followed by all) she finds head-sneakingly naive. It all feeds into a subconscious fear of abandonment, that leadership will eventually disappoint her. In general, the higher the rank, the more she's wary. Mechs closer in rank or who have shown themselves to be a ‘leader of the people' who don't forget the ‘little guy', or those have earned their rank through years of loyal service end to get more respect.

Flashpoint has no love for people who act entitled or superior without earning it, especially those of the upper crust of society, and has little patience for crybabies, those who can't endure hardship. She's not without compassion though, but the 'kid gloves' have to be earned and/or deserved. Otherwise, she does not sugar coat things, she tells it like it is. 

Thanks to her experiences with Zeta and later Splice--being treated as a commodity and then later trash to be disposed of--control and agency is a big thing for her. She does not take well to subjection or being treated like a lesser being, though sometimes she secretly thinks this of herself. Because of the way her past has shaped her psyche, she often feels her worth has to be proven through some capability, rather than seeing herself as having inherent worth as a person. (If someone liked/loved her for who she is, that would be mind boggling. Isn't it about what she can do for them?) Though she feels less deserving of good things because of the violence in her past, she still sees her worth in her skills and capabilities. If she has ego to boast with it's in driving, shooting or generally kicking ass, (and sometimes blowing stuff up). She generally feels her tech skills are second rate, but as before the war, she takes pride in doing quality work at the level she's capable of.

With the war over she's left in a sort of limbo, hanging over a crossroads and uncertain where her future lies. With the caste system gone she has the agency to choose any calling she wants, but can she regain any part of her old self? She'd convinced herself Chipseal was dead, killed by Zeta never to return. As much as she values her combat skills, she knows it's not the heart of what she loves, only what she's adapted to. She contemplates retirement, but would post war times prove peaceful enough to do so and could she welcome that peace or instead become bored? Given her dodgy service record, would she be trusted if she attempted the path of a medic? Would anyone teach her?

For four million years is was all they could think about: ending the war. But with that comes new conflicts. Flashpoint's post-war struggle is finding ways to make positive use of her combat skills and abilities, foster a new skill set/occupation, or become truly obsolete and fade away. She fears the latter though she shares this with few people.

 **[ SKILLS AND ABILITIES ]**

Beyond the abilities standard for one of her species, she has the following capabilities:

**Technical Skills & Knowledge**

  * Has a frame and parts database within her internal datastore.
  * Can make moderate repairs but true medical care is limited, (she's a pretty good surgeon, but not a doctor, can't treat disease or other non mechanical conditions).
  * Can do modifications and parts replacements, including weapons.
  * Moderate skill at paint and detailing work.
  * Can pilot small spacecraft, with or without digital interface. Can also do very basic repairs.



**Military Skills/Enhancements**

  * Standard special ops and military field training.
  * Martial hand-to-hand including the Crystalocution technique (best), pistol (moderate) sniper rifle (better than average), and demolitions (LOLZ OH GOD).
  * Basic ship-to-ship combat skills (enough to keep her alive when operating solo as special ops).
  * Enhanced reflexes (Splice's mod).
  * Greatly increased durability (Splice's mod to compensate for poor auto-repair).
  * Tactile Sensor Array with frame mapping software suite (used to find weaknesses, Splice's mod).
  * Kinetic Amp Barriers (used to exploit weaknesses and hit harder, Splice's mod).



Crystalocution: The fighting technique is much like the Cybertronian version of using pressure points on humans. Since there's not much canon information I've expanded it a bit to include other weaknesses a mech might have. Weaknesses in a mech could be a number of things. For example: fracture points in the metal, chinks in the armor where joints are exposed, areas that are dense with sensors, locations where fuel, hydraulic, coolant or lubricant lines can be targeted and pinched, cut or ripped out, etc.

Tactile Sensor Array: Sensor plates in her palms/fingertips that can gather specific information about a mech's physical frame. Based on touch she can gather various readings on body composition (not unlike today's digital scales). And based on vibration (tapping, slapping, hitting or even walking) it can map an approximation of a mech's frame and potential mods, make matches in her database, etc. Accuracy is not guaranteed but the more contact she has the better it gets. The array is quite sensitive so it's something that's not on all the time. (I can make a permissions post for this, if needed)

Kinetic Amplification Barriers: Built into her forearms and hands is a system that projects a force barrier around her hands. (The armor plates shift open to expose the emitters, glowing slightly) Alone they can't enhance her striking power but they can amplify any kinetic energy she creates. The amplification is exponential and limit of the amplification is pretty high, but the force barrier itself only protects her hands from so much concussive force. Also, clapping is a really bad idea. ;)  
As a note: She can only have one active at a time. Rather, she SHOULD. Having the sensor array active when striking with the KABs on could lead to sensory overload.

 **[ WEAKNESSES ]**

Flashpoint is, effectively, a slow healer. Her auto-repair is imperfect as a side-effect of the Arcee modification (Splice did say the new process was untested). Because the modification changed her CNA, her auto-repair nanites sometimes don't properly reconcile the old CNA mapping versus the new and will error out, stopping or slowing healing altogether in that area. Flashpoint can compensate for this by doing repairs herself and/or consuming medical grade energon to speed healing. Because auto-repair is what fixes everyday scratches, dents, and other cosmetic imperfections, she generally looks a little worn all of the time as these things heal more slowly or not at all.

Flashpoint had many of the markers of a high-functioning alcoholic during the middle of the war. She was careful about not drinking on the job, but often used engex as a reward following completed missions or to stave of the boredom and avoid examining her problems during her time solo in space. She had to wean herself of this habit when she arrived on Earth thanks to lack of availability. She never admitted to herself that it was a problem and she still drinks, though to a lesser extent, and there is the chance of regression.


End file.
